INSIDE EDITION was with Miss USA Rima Fakih as she moved into her new apartment in New York City. She defends those racy pole dancing photos of her that surfaced just hours after she was crowned.
INSIDE EDITION was with the newly-crowned Miss USA Rima Fakih as she moved into her brand new home in New York City, a spectacular apartment in a luxury Manhattan apartment building.
Fakih showed INSIDE EDITION around the apartment, and even let INSIDE EDITION's Les Trent try on her crown!
Fakih is also defending herself over those steamy photos of her taken during a pole-dancing contest.
"When you're successful everyone wants a piece of your success," says Fakih.
The racy pictures of her pole dancing surfaced just hours after she became the second Arab-American to be crowned Miss USA.
"It was actually a promotional event held by a local Detroit station and my friend worked at that station. Pictures were taken, they are not the nicest pictures I've ever seen," admits Fakih.
Published reports say pageant owner Donald Trump is furious over the pole dancing pictures, but Fakih says she has spoken to pageant officials about the photos.
"The Miss Universe and Mr. Trump have been both very okay with it, they've both been supportive, they understand that I did nothing wrong," Fakih tells Les Trent.
Runner-up Miss Oklahoma tells INSIDE EDITION she's ready to step in if Fakih has to step down.
"I think that's up to Mr. Donald Trump. We did have to sign contracts saying that there were no racy photos or videos that would undermine the Miss USA and Miss Universe organization," says Morgan Elizabeth Woolard, Miss Oklahoma.
Fakih's family emigrated from Lebanon when she was a baby. She's a Muslim, so the fact that she appeared in a beauty contest that involved showing so much bare skin is sparking a lot of comment in the Islamic world.
"My family is very liberal, and we're very spiritual people, but we're not defined by religion and to be quite honest with you, not all Muslims are strict Muslims," Fakih says.
